You’ve Heard the Politicians, Here’s What Americans Think About Obamacare

What Republicans and Democrats lawmakers think about the healthcare reform, the Affordable Care Act, is well-established thanks to the ongoing debate over the controversial legislation. Republicans say that the “government takeover of healthcare” will drive up healthcare costs, increase insurance premiums, hurt the quality of healthcare, cause tax hikes, and blow up the deficit. Even Democrats have their own fears. Max Baucus — the Democratic chairman of the Senate’s Finance Committee and a key architect of the healthcare reform law — told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at an April hearing that he is concerned that the implementation of the Obama administration’s signature healthcare law will be a “train wreck.” Of course, President Obama has campaigned vigorously in support of the legislation, which his administration says will bring better coverage and lower costs to Americans — a point that has been hotly debated.

Here is a look at what the American public knows about Obamacare, what their opinion of the Affordable Care Act is, and what they think about health insurance in general.

As the United States prepares for the implementation of the major provisions of Obamacare, the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a survey that examined views on health insurance more broadly among some key subgroups, including young adults, the uninsured, and those with preexisting conditions.

The poll found that the majority of Americans want and value health insurance; they just might not think the Affordable Care Act is the solution to the many problems that trouble the American healthcare system.